


Motivational Me

by KnightsofEclipse



Category: Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV)
Genre: F/M, One Shot, Ship Tease, request fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 20:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13015773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightsofEclipse/pseuds/KnightsofEclipse
Summary: Sabrina is having a bad day and the most unlikely "person" is there for her.





	Motivational Me

“I’m going to school, now!” Sabrina called to her aunts. Immediately, she brought her hand up to her face to catch a sneeze.

From the counter, Aunt Zelda dropped her coffee cup on the counter and rushed to her niece’s side. “Are you sure? I doubt anyone will mind if you need to stay home.”

Sabrina waved her hand between them to dismiss the notion. “Naw, I’ll be fine.” She caught another sneeze before giving herself a little shake and heading out.

From his place on the counter, next to the toaster, Salem stretched himself out lazily. “If you want, I can keep an eye on her."

Zelda smirked knowingly. “Nice try, Salem, but you have already rescheduled this evaluation with the Witches Council 3 times. You are not getting out of it this time.” She crossed back over to the counter and scooped up the scheming cat. “And you’re not getting out of it either, Hilda!”

The front door slammed and stomping footsteps welcomed Hilda to the kitchen. “It’s no fair! Why do I have to go?”

“Because,” a sobbing was emitted by the captive cat, “I can’t open the doors.” He blubbered some more, a string of incomprehensible babble flooded out, leading the blonde witches to helplessly try and comfort him.

Salem’s fake crying only bought them 20 minutes before Zelda caught on and sent them packing through the linen closet and to the Other Realm. Waiting at their usual stations was the Witches Council, the highest seat occupied by Drell. “ **Salem!** ” His voice echoed in a way that was far more comical than intimidating. “ **It has been brought to my attention that you are to be placed in Purgatory!** ”

There was a murmur among the council. Hilda and Salem gasped. “There has to be a mistake!” Salem cried out.

Drell hmm-ed as something was whispered in his ear. “ **Ah-ha! Yes! You are to be placed on Probation! A trial period as a human again.** ” Drell pointed at his podium, making papers appear and he took to shuffling them. “ **You will spend the next 24 hours in human form and if you can make it through without any sort of world domination plan then we will consider shortening your sentence.** ”

Salem’s eyes lit up and he leapt from Hilda’s arms in time for the magic to take effect. A mirror materialized once the transformation was complete. “I…I…I look like a kid!” There was slight disappointment in his voice as he stared at a younger version of himself in the mirror.

It was 2 hours later that Hilda was finally able to drag the man-turned-cat-turned-boy back to the Mortal Realm. “Just wait until Zelly gets a look at you.” Hilda walked right into a person sized note. “What’s this? Dear Hilda and Salem, had to go to the hospital, accidentally broke every bone in the mail man’s body, love Zelda.” She shrugged and continued through the house. “Oh well.”

Salem followed behind much slower, stopping to stare every time he caught his reflection in something. He finally reached the kitchen in time for the phone to ring. “Spellman house,” he answered automatically.

_“Salem!”_

What was this? The boy-cat could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and his throat tighten. “Oh, hi, Sabrina.”

_“Listen, cat. This cold is making school really tough and it was already really tough with tests and Mr. Kraft and liking Harvey and Libby being a pain in the…you get the idea! Tell Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda to come pick me up.”_

The line went dead before Salem could either confirm or deny the request. He stumbled into the living room. “Hey, Hilda. That was Sabrina on the phone. You need to go pick her up.”

Hilda pulled a face like she had just smelt some century old cheese. “Ooh, can’t. I just put on a fresh coat.” She placed her feet on the coffee table to show wet paint signs hanging from them. “Why don’t you go get her? You are human, now.”

\--+--

Salem couldn’t feel his feet. For nearly 10 minutes he had been sitting out in the car outside Westbridge High. _Man up!_ he silently scolded himself. _It’s not like you’re asking her out. You’re just driving her home._ He nodded and got out of the car. _Yeah, just giving her a ride._ With his confidence back, he entered the school.

In the cafeteria, Sabrina had her head laid on the table. Harvey reached across the small space to rub his girlfriend’s shoulder. Valerie wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her own shoulders. “Don’t worry, Sabrina. I’m sure your aunts will be here soon,” Harvey tried his best to sound enthusiastic.

Sabrina let out a non-descript moan. Valerie and Harvey exchanged a look. “At least you stopped vomiting,” Valerie offered. Another non-descript moan was her response.

The cafeteria doors opened and an average looking dude walked in and looked around as if he were lost. “That guy kind of reminds me of your cat, Sabrina,” Harvey said in wonder, scratching his head with his free hand.

Sabrina’s head shot up and she locked eyes with the feline boy from across the room. _He is so dead._

Salem raced over to the table and stopped so abruptly he nearly fell over. “I’m here to pick you up, Sabrina.”

Sabrina felt the vomit-y feeling coming back. No, it was something else. Anger? Hatred? Embarrassment? Those all sounded right considering who she was dealing with. But she knew how all of those should feel and this wasn’t it.

Realizing she had been sitting there staring she had to think of a fast recovery. “Valerie, Harvey, this is my, uh, cousin, Salem.”

“Your aunt really likes naming cats after family members, doesn’t she?” Harvey asked in a far too chipper manner.

“Uh, yeah, it’s an endearing quirk.” She jumped up and locked arms with her ‘cousin’. “Gotta go.” Trying her best, she attempted to drag Salem from the cafeteria. Once safely on the other side of the double swinging doors she stopped abruptly.

“Do you mind?” Salem asked in his usual indignant fashion. “I’m still getting used to this body. It’s so lanky.”

“Can it, cat,” Sabrina spat. Before she could say more she was sent into a wild sneezing fit. “Salem, what are you even doing here?”

Salem shrugged, forcing his hands into his pockets like he’d seen Harvey do. “You told me to come pick you up.”

Sabrina threw her hand against her forehead. “I told you to send Aunt Hilda or Aunt Zelda.”

Salem chuckled. “Yeah, about that.” Sabrina crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Relax. Zelda had to take the mail man to the hospital and Hilda, well, you’ll see when we get home.” He reached out and tried to pull Sabrina from the cafeteria.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Safreakna. But who’s this? Not Harvey. Was he tired of feeling sorry for you?” Sabrina rolled her eyes as Libby joined them in the hall. “I have to say; you two really suit each other. You both give off the same freak vibe.” Libby smiled like a cat and circled them like she was looking for the best way to go in for the kill.

Sabrina groaned. “Just ignore her, Salem.” She started down the hall, expecting her cat to follow loyally.

“What’s wrong, Sabrina? Afraid if your new friend gets to know me he’ll like me better?” Libby laughed at her own wittiness. “It’s not like you to admit defeat.”

Anger spread through the blonde like wildfire. She spun around and marched right up to Libby. “I’m not afraid of you, Libby. You think you’re so great just because you’re popular but let me tell you…”

Salem caught Sabrina’s elbow and pulled her back, stepping into the gap between the girls. “Listen to me, Libby. You’re popular, you’re pretty, you have everyone in this school on their knees, but that’s not true power. Believe me, I’ve had a taste of what you’ve got, and let me tell you it’s not half as sweet as what I’ve got now.” He offered his arm to Sabrina.

The blonde witch raised an eyebrow but looped her arm through his and let him escort her to the car. They rode home in silence. The whole ride, Sabrina couldn’t help peeking over at her driver. This wasn’t the Salem she had heard stories about. No, that Salem was power mad and didn’t care who he stepped on to get to the top. This Salem was sweet and he seemed to actually care if he hurt someone’s feelings.

“You keep staring at me,” Salem’s voice interrupted her train of thought.

“Wha-what?” She jumped in her seat, seeing the familiar street names as they stopped at the lights and wishing they weren’t so close to home.

“You keep staring at me,” he repeated. “Is there something on my face?” He playfully batted at his nose.

“Oh,” Sabrina recovered slightly. “No, I was just thinking…” She turned out the window slightly, placing her hand against the glass. “You didn’t have to come today. You could have just left me.”

“Why would I do that?” he sounded offended. Sabrina turned back to scrutinize him. “Think of it from my perspective. Sure, it would be easier for me if I didn’t come. But I’d probably spend the rest of the day regretting it.”

Sabrina settled back into her sear, leaning slightly away from Salem. “You know, when I saw you in the cafeteria I was so relieved. Not because I was saved or because it was you in particular. I think it was because you were human.” She crossed her arms behind her head. “I know it sounds crazy, but I thought, maybe, you changed. And when you stood up to Libby, I was convinced. You’re not at all how I thought you were, Salem.”

Salem looked over as they pulled into the driveway. “I haven’t really changed that much. I mean, all of this is temporary. And after today, I’ll just be a cat again. No matter how much I seem to change the Witches Council is going to keep me a cat forever.”

Sabrina reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Well, you changed today. Just take whatever motivated you and keep at it.”

Salem scoffed, getting out of the car. “Easy for you to say.”

Sabrina got out too. “Why? What motivated you?”

Salem walked to the door and let himself in, calling over his should so she wouldn’t see his beet-red face. “You.”

\--+--

The next evening, the Spellman women were having a nice, normal, dinner when Salem entered the dining room and hopped up next to his favourite teenage witch. “Sabrina, thank you.”

Sabrina smiled, petting the car lovingly. “You’re welcome, Salem. But, for what?”

Salem wound his way around her hand until he was free from her grasp and a safe distance away. “All those nice things you wrote about me in your diary.”

Sabrina’s eyes went wide and she pounced across the table to try and wring his little kitty neck. “Salem you are so dead!” She chased after him, and both aunts could hear his laughter all the way. They smiled and went back to their dinner.


End file.
